The Power of Love
by MartyMcFlyJr
Summary: Voldemort holds the Weasly Family hostage and Harry surrenders. Those of you who like to correct grammar errors: I edited it and would like to know if it's ok.
1. Chapter 1

"You have a choice Harry Potter," said Voldemort in a magically magnified voice, "you can either come out with your wand and fight me or you can come out without your wand and I promise you I will not hurt your friends"

The whole Weasly family was being held in house arrest at The Burrow. Voldemort and his Death Eaters were surrounding the house under orders that if anyone attempts to exit they will be killed on the spot.

"You have three seconds to decide before I kill someone, one... two... three... AVADA KEDAVRA!"

There was a flash of green light and Harry Potter woke with a start. His scar was throbbing so painfully that he felt dizzy.

He has fallen asleep on a kitchen chair at #12 Grimmauld Place where he was holed up for the last six months only leaving when he had a lead to destroy a horcrux.

Harry stood up quickly knocking the table to the floor. It was the first time his scar hurt since Sirius died. Can this be a trap? It can't be: why would Voldemort set a trap for Harry to appear at the _Burrow_? If it were just an attempt to get Harry, Voldemort would invent a more dangerous meeting place. But if Voldemort and his Death Eaters were at the Burrow right now... Harry shuddered. He didn't see who the killing curse hit. He decided to go straight to The Burrow and check it out, but he will apperate right into the dining room - manners be damned.

He hoped he would find all the Weaslys sitting by the table and enjoying their Christmas meal, as It was Christmas eve and the entire Weasly family along with Hermione were supposed to be celebrating together. Harry was invited too, of course, but he refused to attend for fear of putting the family in danger.

Unfortunately when Harry apparated to the Burrow he found that this precaution was unnecessary. For the whole Weasly family were in a state of confusion and terror and Harry can clearly hear Voldemort's magnified voice coming from outside.

"...I know you are not afraid for yourself. You have proven during our last clash that you can fight almost as well as I can. But if you value your friends, you will surrender."

Harry looked around the room trying to see who was missing. Who did Voldemort aim that curse at? He didn't remember seeing anyone outside in his dream.

In the total panic it took a while for everyone to notice who just appeared in the middle of the dining room.

"Should ve send a message to Harry?" asked Fleur in a squeaky voice.

"Are you crazy?" asked George

"that's exactly what you-know-who wants" said Fred

"But he vill kill us all!"screamed Fleur.

"We can't fight him the way Harry can," said Bill stroking Fleur's hair trying to calm her, "but we will have to try"

"Don't fight him", said Harry

The room suddenly became silent. Everyone was staring at Harry in shock.

"You never should have gotten into this mess in the first place." Harry stated.

And before anyone realized what he was doing, he placed his wand neatly on the table and walked to the door, but just as he reached for the doorknob, Ron flew to him and threw him backwards.

"What the heck do you think you're doing, Harry?" he yelled.

The next second, Hermione and Ginny were by their side.

Harry regained his balance and reached again for the knob looking at Ron with a hard, cold expression, as if challenging Ron to try and stop him.

Ron reached quickly for his wand and yelled "petrificus totalus"

Harry dodged the spell but both Hermione and Ginny already had their wands out. Harry dashed fast to the table grabbed his wand and preformed a powerful spell that immobilized everyone in the room.

"Harry ,don't" shrieked Hermione "we only have _one_ you-know-what left to destroy before you can do it! _One more_ and your path is clear to do Nagini and Voldemort! Please Harry do you realize what you are doing!"

"It's you who have to go on, Harry, not Hermione, not me, not anyone else in this room. Please don't go out now. Or at least not without your wand!" Ron begged

"Think, Harry," pleaded Hermione, "do you want him to exist forever? Just to save eleven people? Think how many other people will die because of this. You know you're the only one who can finish him."

Harry could hear the shock of the whole family behind him. None of them ever knew for a fact that Harry is actually the chosen one.

Harry turned to look at everyone in the room.

"Look," he said steadily "I'm terribly sorry it has to happen this way, but I really don't give a damn about what happens to other people if I don't vanquish Voldemort. I never asked to be the chosen one, and you never knew the risk of choosing to be my friends. Voldemort never bothered to kill you last time, and he would never have done so this time if not for me. You heard Voldemort. If I surrender, he will leave you alone. Good bye."

And before anyone can say anything Harry was out the door waving his wand free hands at Voldemort.

"Here I am, Voldemort, just like you hoped. No wand"

At the sight of Harry approaching Voldemort and his Death Eaters laughed.

"Master always knows!" Harry heard Bellatrix's triumphant yell, "you used his weakness to love."

"Yes, Bellatrix." said Voldemort dismissively, "So did you receive that messege I placed in your brain, Harry? isn't it nice to be so connected to Lord Voldemort, that we can communicate so esily? Do you love those people, Harry Potter? Were you worried when you saw me kill that fox? Do you not want to see them killed?"

Voldemort pointed his wand at the house and Harry cringed. "Reducto" yelled Voldemort and the house around the Weasly Family was blown to dust.

"Oho!" laughed Bellatrix, "look they are immobilized. What was the matter Potter, they wouldn't let you go?"

"Maybe they didn't believe that I wouldn't harm them," said Voldemort softly, "Do you take my word for it, Harry?"

"Of course, Voldemort," chuckled Harry; "I hardly believe you would make the same mistake twice."

"What mistake?" asked Voldemort getting caught off guard by Harry's manner.

"The mistake you made sixteen years ago. They are all now protected the same way I was, then, by love. Or were you planning to turn into vapor again? I remember you describing to your Death Eaters three years ago how painful that was."

"Crucio" yelled Voldemort his face contorted with anger.

Harry felt as if every part of his body was screaming in pain, and then it stopped.

"Tell me, Harry, what did Dumbledore tell you about the prophecy?"

"Nothing" said Harry too quickly

"You are lying to me Harry, you should know better than to lie to Lord Voldemort. You know the prophecy, and I want you to tell it to me word for word."

"I can't remember it word for word" said Harry

"Crucio" yelled Voldemort again filling Harry's body and mind with unbearable pain

"So did your memory improve?" asked Voldemort

"Does the prophecy matter now?" panted Harry, not wanting to cause the Waesly Family to be any more traumatized then they already looked.

"You will tell me the prophecy Harry Potter, I have tortured information out of people who were given powerful memory charms, do you think I can't torture you into revealing something your worthless mind is hardly able to conceal even without pain?"

"Ok," Harry said feeling that letting the Weaslys listen to the prophecy is less frightening than making them watch their friend being tortured to death. He was surprised to see that the pain really _did_ cause him to remember it word for word.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to the people who thrice defied him. Born as the seventh month dies"

Harry realized that Voldemort was reciting the prophecy together with him.

"You know the prophecy yourself, why do you need me to tell it to you?" asked Harry hoping Voldemort will think that this was the entire prophecy.

"I only know it up till here. Go on." said Voldemort.

"And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal-"

"What does that mean?" interrupted Voldemort.

"Dumbledore said it means that you transferred all your powers to me marking me as your equal." said Harry quietly.

"Go on" said Voldemort

"And he will have power the Dark Lord knows not"

"What power?" asked Voldemort looking wary.

"The power of love," said Harry simply.

"Love?" repeated Voldemort starting to smile, "isn't that the reason you are now about to die? Standing here in front of your enemy wandless, defenseless? Is that what Dumbledore calls power?"

Harry waited for voldemort to finish cackling in his high cruel laughter.

"Either must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives." continued Harry when the laughter subsided. "Which means one of us has got to kill the other in the end. So go ahead and kill me." said Harry afraid that voldemort is going to make him reveal more information about the horcruxes. "I'm sure you have many more important things to do."

"Are you ready to die Harry Potter? " asked Voldemort slowly advancing towards Harry, and hitting him with a spell that felt like a punch in the stomach, making Harry fall to his knees. "You, who knew this whole time that you had the kind of powers that others would give anything to have. Powers equal to Lord Voldemort. You are willing to give all that up for those worthless people standing behind you?"

"You wouldn't understand it." breathed Harry, the pain in his stomach making it hard for him to talk.

"You know what, Harry Potter?" said Voldemort reaching for Harry's scalp and picking him up with his hair, "I'm not sure I want to kill you right away. Not while you posses such great powers. I do respect these as being _my_ powers, even if it's given to a fool of a child who won't appreciate or know how to use it.

"I think I will take you with me to my headquarters where I will beat all of that power out of you. I will break you first. And while we're already there, I might want to get some more information from you as I torture you into madness. Do you think you have felt pain so far? You will be begging for death before I'm finished with you."

Voldemort was holding Harry in the air facing him, and as Harry was shorter than Voldemort, his feet were dangling off the ground. The pain in his scalp was causing his eyes to tear, which Voldemort took as a sign of weakness.

"Oh, look at you, you're crying." said Voldemort in a mock sympathetic tone as he put Harry back on his feet, "are you that afraid? Don't cry, Harry Potter" taunted Voldemort while patting his shoulders in mock comfort. "Why don't you say good bye to your friends and we will get going."

Harry was afraid to face them. But he didn't know what else to do so he turned to them.

"I'm sorry," he said gently.

He wasn't sure what exactly he was apologizing for, but he knew he was causing them terrible unbearable pain that he needed them to forgive.

Then he turned and walked with Voldemort side by side, showing no desire to escape. With his back straight and head held high, he wasn't going to show signs of fear. He did not want his friends to see him suffer.


	2. Chapter 2

When Voldemort and his Death Eaters reached their headquarters, Harry saw them reform the circle around Voldemort and himself, and for the first time he noticed that all of the Death Eaters were there. The circle was complete. Harry looked around and saw Draco Malfoy's gray eyes and short form. He wondered if it was Draco who informed Voldemort about Harry's love for the Weasly Family. No other Death Eater knew Harry's Friends as well as Draco. He also recognized Snape's black eyes and spidery form. Harry looked at Snape with hatred and disgust.

"So. What did your precious Headmaster tell you about me?" Asked Voldemort, "how was he planing to finish off the most powerful wizard ever born?"

Harry avoided Voldemort's eyes, trying to stop him from preforming legitimacy. He knew it was useless. Voldemort will find out everything about the horcrux hunt he, Ron and Hermione were working on. But he had to try and hide as much information as possible. What if Ron and Hermione decide to go on without him? Voldemort will surely set them a trap at the place where the horcrux is. Even if they were protected by Harry's love, Voldemort can still trap them or hurt them in other ways if they were a threat to him.

"Look at me Potter" snapped Voldemort, "don't try to hide anything from me because I will find out anything I want anyway in the end."

Harry kept his head determinedly down.

"Crucio!" yelled Voldemort.

Again Harry felt pain in every part of his body. The pain didn't stop this time, it continued getting worse and worse until he felt he was going to explode from the pain - and then it stopped.

"Now can you tell me what you know about my immortality?"

Harry looked up in fear for a split second forgetting that he shouldn't.

"Oh, yes, Harry Potter, you let me see into your mind while you were twitching on the ground. Enough to know that you were told something about my immortality."

Harry looked at the ground wondering how long it will be before Voldemort finds out everything from him.

"Look up Harry, I see you are trying hard to hide something from me and I want to know what it is."

Voldemort grabbed Harry by the shirt and lifted him up to face him. Harry looked away desperately. Voldemort laughed.

"Crucio" he said again and Harry felt excruciating pain again but this time Harry concentrated hard on not thinking about where he was and why. His last thought just before the pain started was about how Dudley punched him as a very small child.

"Damn it!" shouted Voldemort in anger throwing Harry to the floor, "why do I care about your stupid muggle childhood! Can you be losing your mind already! Are you so weak?"

"Mmmph" said Harry his heart rejoicing. He figured out how to avoid revealing secrets while under the crucio. All he had to do was concentrate on a miserable but neutral memory and that's all Voldemort will see while torturing him.

"Crucio" Voldemort caught Harry unawares this time. He tried to concentrate on something but the pain wouldn't let him think. He was twitching and jerking until he felt that his head would burst and he threw up.

Voldemort lifted the curse and Harry heard the jeers and laughter from the Death Eaters around them

Voldemort told Bellatrix, "clean him up" and Bellatrix shouted "scrugify!" Harry gagged as pink soap bubbles were coming out of his mouth.

The Death Eaters shrieked with laughter, as Harry looked for the spidery form and the black eyes of Snape. He couldn't help remembering the way his own father tormented Snape. He has felt so bad for Snape at the time, but he wanted to hate Snape. He thought that seeing Snape laugh along with the Death Eaters will confirm to him that snape was evil and deserved what he got from James. But when he found Snaps's eyes they weren't laughing at all. He wasn't tantalizing Harry with the rest of the Death Eaters, and for a fleeting moment Harry thought he saw Snape's eyes shining with tears. Harry hadn't had much brain left to try and figure out this strange sight and thought he just imagined the whole thing.

"Harry, what do you know about horcruxes?" This brought Harry sharply back to where he was.

"I met your diary when I was twelve." choked Harry hoping that this piece of information that Voldemort already knew will make it sound like this is as far as Dumbledore guessed about the horcruxes.

"Finite" Voldemort said and the pink bubbles stopped frothing in Harry's mouth "what did you say?"

"I said that I met Tom Riddle's diary in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom Do you remember Myrtle? The girl you murdered at Hogwarts? It was probably your first murder. I actually felt sorry for Tom Riddle who had to live in a muggle orphanage. But when I met you in the chamber of secrets, outside of your diary and we were discussing our similar childhoods I realized that there is nothing to feel sorry for. You are evil and cruel and there is no excuse for it. I also had a bad childhood and I don't think I'm evil." Harry's voice was shaking with physical pain and anger, "and Dumbledore told me that the diary I destroyed was your horcrux.

" Yes," laughed Harry spitefully, "thanks to your faithful death eater Lucius Malfoy your precious piece of evil soul was destroyed."

"You're still hiding something" Voldemort said softly, and Harry, remembering, quickly looked away, "I will find out what it is."

Harry had just time to think about Sirius and how he was murdered when the curse hit him again. It was a horribly powerful one. Harry was jerking and shaking for so long he forgot who he was. All he knew was that he wanted the pain to stop, but when the curse finally lifted the pain didn't stop completely.

"You will tell me what you are trying to hide from me, aren't you?" Said Voldemort softly, "All I got from you now was your sorrow at the murder of your godfather. Maybe this just wasn't painful enough. I think I will start a combined effort, do you agree?"

The Death Eaters looked excited as they formed a circle around Harry, this time with Voldemort among them.

"Crucio!" yelled multiple voices together.

Harry never felt anything like this before. It was all consuming pain, it felt like his skin was being burned from the inside. He was screaming so hard he lost his voice, and couldn't even scream anymore. He forgot his name, forgot his friends, he forgot why he existed.

When the curse lifted he didn't know where he was but he knew only that he didn't want to feel this pain again. He crawled away from the middle of the circle just to be dragged back there with a spell from Voldemort's wand. He didn't know what he was doing or saying. He was crying, pleading begging Voldemort to stop the pain; To let him die. He didn't care that he sounded pathetic. He didn't even know why he ever cared about having any pride or self-respect. These things didn't exist. He crawled to Voldemort and grabbed the bottom of his robes begging to be killed. Voldemort shot him back to the middle of the circle amid shouts of laughter.

"Just another dose of pain, you've almost completely lost your mind"

Harry was crying like a baby, begging, begging...

"Crucio!" yelled all the Death Eaters together. Harry felt the blinding beams of light lifting him into the air, and leaving him suspended for at least an hour vibrating in excruciating torturous pain. He had no idea if the curse was even lifted or not as he was dropped heavily to the floor. The pain did not stop at all. He was shaking, jerking and twitching in agony.

He vaguely saw moving images and heard some voices talking around him making out only a few sounds.

Voldemort was saying "Severus, you and Little Malfoy stand guard here tonight. If you see him getting too comfortable, just torture him some more."

"I will try to see tomorrow if there is any more useful information in his mind and then I'll dispose of him." he heard Voldemort answer one of the death eaters.

A few minutes later it got quieter. Then he heard Snape say, "I have to leave. You stay here and watch, ok?"

"No! Don't leave me here alone with him please" he heard Draco plead

"What's the matter, you feel sorry for Potter?" he heard Snape's reply

"of course not!" retorted Draco defiantly.

"Do you think Potter deserved this?" asked snape quietly.

"Definitely, he defied our master too many times"

"Ok" he heard Snape say resigned.

And then it was silent. But- can that be? Harry imagined he heard sobs coming from the corner where Draco was sitting. He wanted to turn to him and see if it was just his battered mind playing tricks, but his body refused to cooperate. It was moving; twisting and writhing in pain, but it wasn't moving to where Harry wanted it to. So he just kept lying there whimpering and twitching.

A while later he heard Snape's voice, "why were you crying?"

"Who said I was crying?" Draco said angrily.

"It's ok to feel - "

"I don't feel sorry, just because you had to kill Dumbledore for me, doesn't mean I am soft."

"You don't have to be soft to disagree with the dark lord. He is evil. It's ok to feel uncomfortable with the things he does." Snape said sadly "Here drink this."

Draco asked sounding wary "what the heck is this?"

"It's a potion I made while I was out. Drink this, it will help you cope."

It was silent for a while and then Harry felt someone lift his head up gently and pour a liquid into his parched lips. He was so thirsty; the last time he had anything to drink was probably a whole day ago. Who knows? Maybe more.

He coughed a little as he choked on the drink

"Slowly, slowly. It's a potion that will make you feel better. It will take away the pain." the voice sounded like Snape, but it didn't make sense. He sounded so gentle, almost loving; Like a father. Maybe it was really his father but his messed up mind was hearing Snape? This was so confusing to Harry that he just closed his eyes and stopped thinking. His shivering slowly subsided and as his body was starting to relax, he shook with fresh sobs. Tears were rolling down his cheeks as the voice tried to sooth him and make him drink more potion. The potion that takes away the pain. He wondered weather he was dead and was starting to calm down. When he was feeling better, he opened his eyes and saw a very blurry shape looking at him with concern.

He started groping for his glasses. He wanted to know who that person was, to make some sense out of what was happening. The blurry figure gave Harry the glasses and when he looked through them he saw Snape looking at him like he never did before.

Harry sat up suddenly.

"You!" he whispered accusingly.

He saw Snape's features relax in relief.

"What - why are - You murdered Dumbledore!" was all his blurry mind could think of saying.

"Listen, Potter, your friends of the order will be coming to get you soon. I went to Hogwarts and I told them where to find you. Do me a favor, and don't let the Dark Lord catch you again, because if you do, with your pathetic occlumency abilities he will know exactly how you escaped. And I will be handled the same way you were today, and _I_ wouldn't last. I believe any _normal_ person would lose their mind long before now. How you managed to keep your mind is a phenomena I will never understand."

"Why?" asked Harry bewildered, "why are you risking your life to save mine, after you killed Dumbledore in cold blood?"

"He asked me to. But why should I explain myself to you, you're so arrogant you will not even try to understand or believe me. You are just like your father -- "

"Leave my father out of this, ok? I know what you did! It was your fault that Voldemort killed my parents. You're the one who told him about the prophecy!" Harry was too weak to get this angry. He was shaking so badly that he fell back down to the floor.

Snape made a move to help Harry, but seeing the look on his face he stopped.

"This is exactly the way your father was thinking when he made it known that I only told the Dark Lord only a _part_ of the prophecy. The truth is, I heard the entire prophecy, but when I started to repeat it to the Dark Lord, he interrupted "the Potters" That's when I just couldn't go on. I refused to tell him any more and I said that this is all I heard.

"When I went to Dumbledore and told him what had happened and to warn your parents, your arrogant father thought I was just trying to get attention and he wasn't careful with the secret that I lied to the dark lord. He found out. The Dark Lord found out in the end, I don't know how. Maybe one of your father's traitor friends told him about the rumor. The Dark Lord was mighty angry at me and you know what he is like when he is angry. It was very lucky that I was competent at occlumency. Had he known that I had held anything back from him, I wouldn't have lived to see the next day. But of course, you don't have to believe me. You can make like your father and let the Dark Lord discover the truth about tonight. I don't expect any better from James Potter's son."

Harry stared, but before he could say anything five members of the order suddenly appeared behind Snape and yelled, "stupefy!"

Snape fell to the ground unconscious.

"What did you do that for?" stormed Harry.

"Harry! You're ok!" Lupin said in astonishment giving Harry a hug.

"Snape is ok! He is on our side!" said Harry pushing Lupin away angrily. "You, all of you, always hated him for no reason. What made you think you need to stun him? Wasn't he the one to tell you how to get here unharmed?"

"It's ok Harry, we know he is alright. It was the plan to stun him and Draco so that it shouldn't look like he had a hand in it. Where is Draco?"

Harry turned to look, now that he mentioned it he didn't see Draco for a while already.

"Oh here he is," yelled Kingsley, "he is deep in sleep. Just as planned. Snape is a great potions maker."

"Snape gave Draco a sleeping potion?" asked Harry in surprise.

"We didn't want Draco to see that Snape was helping you. We were worried that Draco might tell You-Know-Who," said Bill, "He was the one who told him about your relationship with our family."

"We'd better get going," said Tonks, "Ron, Hermione and Ginny are worried. Not to mention your mother, Bill, she is having kittens."

"Just one minute, there is something I need to do first," said Bill taking a huge piece of paper from his robes and putting it on the wall.

Harry looked at the paper. In huge, hard-to-miss letters a message was written to Voldemort. It said: "Yes, Voldemort, Harry has the power of love. We love him. It's that power that drove us to come to his rescue. Would any of your loyal Death Eaters do the same for you?

Signed, The Order of the Pheonix"

"We will have to portkey out of here. There is no apperating allowed from here and flying is too dangerous. This place is surrounded with Death Eaters." said Charley.

Tonks took a rag and said "portus"

Everyone touched the rag and in a swirl of wind and color they were gone.


	3. Chapter 3

1

When they finally hit solid ground, Harry saw that they were in Professor McGonagal's office. He looked around at the pictures of the old headmasters and saw that they all, including Dumbledore, sleeping in their frames.

Professor McGonagal herself was clutching her chest and taking deep steadying breaths. She looked like she has been crying nonstop for the past few days: her whole face was swollen and red.

"It's ok," Lupin informed her, "Harry's all right!"

McGonagal looked for a moment as if she was about to run to Harry and give him a hug. But she composed herself as if remembering that she is a headmistress and was supposed to act accordingly.

"Thank you," she told Lupin, "are you feeling ok Harry? Should I send you to the hospital wing?"

"I'm fine, thank you," replied Harry politely, "I need to see Ron and Hermione."

"Yes, of course, they are very worried. Professor Lupin, can you please go and bring Mr. Weasly and Miss Granger here? And tell them to bring Potter his invisibility cloak - ." she added, "we cannot be too careful. There might be spies amongst the students."

McGonagal turned to Kingsley, "Did everything proceed alright?"

Kingsley took a deep breath, shook his head and let it out.

"I think you-know-who will have no doubt that we had inside help. There was no way we could have gotten there without specific instructions down to the amount of people we can bring. There were spells broken just at the right places, there were dark mark barriers moved just at the right moments Death eaters on guard were confounded from behind. Severus is as good as dead."

"Then we should have brought him back with us!" Harry blurted out before he can stop himself, "why did we leave him there?"

"But he gave us specific instructions to make it look like a surprise attack. Maybe he doesn't expect you-know-who to think it was _he_ who helped you. He is still very credible to you-know-who because of what he did last year."

The door to the office suddenly flew open and Ginny, Ron and Hermione stormed in stopping at the sight of Harry. They were all standing there looking at him, unable to move.

"_What?_" Said harry feeling uncomfortable as they stared.

"Oh, Harry!" cried Ginny running towards Harry and giving him a tight hug. She started to say something but was overwhelmed with uncontrollable sobs.

For the first time in months Harry felt at home. With Ginny in his arms, his friends by his side he wanted to hold her tight and keep her in his arms forever. He wanted to forget everything and just escape with Ginny to a secluded paradise, but he knew this was not a possibility. This was no time for emotions. For if he _really_ loved Ginny he would not let them get to attached to each other. There were too many dangers involved.

Harry looked at Ron, "did you bring the invisibility cloak?" he asked. pushing Ginny away gently his hands shaking with the effort of not grabbing her back in a tight embrace.

Ron nodded silently looking like if he would open his mouth to say anything he would cry like Ginny.

"Professor, can we please go to the common room?" asked Harry.

"Yes, yes, of course, you all need to rest. Children like yourselves should not have had to go through such a christmas." she said sadly. "Remus will you please escort them to the common room? We can't be too careful."

Harry quickly put on his invisibility cloak and led Ron and Hermione out of the office.

As they were walking down the corridors Harry felt pangs of regret that he doesn't attend Hogwarts anymore; he missed it so much; it was the only home he's ever known.

He looked sideways at Lupin and thought he should apologize for the way he greeted him when he came to his rescue.

He turned to Lupin although it made no difference for he was invisible, "I - I'm sorry I was so rude when you stunned snape, I was just so..." Harry couldn't find the right words to say. "Just so confused" he finally whispered.

He wanted desperately to ask Lupin about what Snape told him, but he didn't want Ginny and Ron and Hermione to hear his father's guilt.

"Do you think Voldemort will suspect Snape for being our 'inside help'?" Harry asked, worried.

"Nah, don't worry," said Ron with a wave of his hand, "there are plenty other death eaters he can suspect. It might have been Bellatrix."

Harry, Hermione, and Ginny collapsed with silent giggles as Lupin kept hushing them so they don't attract attention.

"Did Snape really help you?" asked Hermione "We were at McGonagal's office trying to figure out how to find Voldemort's headquarters when he came in. Everyone was so shocked he came they almost arrested him."

"Yes," said Harry and Lupin.

"Wow" whispered Ron.

"He said he needed to get to Slughorn's office to get ingredients for a potion. We all thought he was setting up a plan for Voldemort to attack Hogwarts again. We sent Slughorn and Moody with him to make sure he was making a harmless potion. He said he needed to make you a potion to ease the -"

"Did that potion really help?" interrupted Ron, " He was almost crying when he told us you were probably insane."

"Yeah he did seem kind of relieved when I recognized him even tough I was yelling at him." said harry crossly now feeling guilty about how he blew up at Snape.

"Poor neville," he added thoughtfully after they said goodbye to Lupin at the portrait of the fat lady, "is this what they've done to his parents?"

Ron, Hermione and Ginny looked at each other.

"Snape said you've had it much worse." said hermione softly, "he has seen Voldemort drive many people to insanity but he said he has never seen something like this"

"Listen," Harry told Ron and Hermione suddenly feeling uncomfortable, "we have to go get to that horcrux in Ravenclaw's wand as soon as possible. Now maybe. We will floo to #12 and go from there."

"Now!" exclaimed Hermione, "shouldn't you rest first?"

"I am almost positive that voldemort knows all about our operations by now. If we are lucky, Voldemort will be too tired tonight to go and set us a trap at the place where he hid that horcrux. We have an advantage now because he probably thinks I am still _there_." Harry said shuddering at the memory of what he has been through there.

"Are you sure you - did you tell him about - ." stuttered Hermione

"I don't know what I told him and I don't want to try to remember." said harry firmly.

He had no wish to make _that_ experience real again by talking about it; or even thinking about it.

"Maybe we should go by ourselves this time," said Ron anxiously, "are you sure you are up to it?"

"I'm fine, we have no time to feel tired now."

"I'm coming too," said Ginny.

"No you're not," said Harry with such finality that left no room for argument.

Ginny was not deterred , "I am just as competent as Ron or Hermione and you know that."

"And _you_ know that this is not the reason I can't let you come."

"Yeah, I heard that story before you _worry _about me. Aren't you worried about Ron and Hermione?"

"No." said Harry, "they already gave me their word that if anything happens they will leave me and save themselves. I'm sorry," harry said in a softer tone, "when were finished, I promise we will return to Hogwarts to let you know we are ok."

With a swish of his wand, Harry lit the fire in the fireplace and he, Ron, and Hermione flooed to Grimmuald Place.

Once they arrived at #12, both Ron and Harry looked expectedly at Hermione for instructions.

"OK, said Hermione, "this place is in the middle of the Scottish highlands. You can read about it in a book titled -."

"Ok, we know we can read it too, but we aren't interested." said Ron impatiently, "You read it for us already, so give us the details."

" It used to be a school for higher dark magical education where Voldemort learned some of his worst dark magic after he left Hogwarts. That school was discovered shortly thereafter by aurors who destroyed it and arrested the founders. I am sure Voldemort returned to that area because I did a lot of research on it and found that there are very strange rumors among the muggles living there. It seems that there is some kind of a whirlpool of wind that never leaves and it's recorded to have begun a few years after we know the school was closed."

"This would make sense" said Harry, "the wand with the horcrux must be inside the whirlpool."

"Do we know exactly where we are apparating to?" asked Harry.

"It's near a circle of stones on a hill. we should hold on to each other while aparating so we don't get lost." said Hermione, "Harry, you will need to concentrate on the place and get us there with side along aparation. You're the only one who mastered it."

Harry held on to his two best friends and together they appeared into the middle of a circle of stones in the Scottish Highlands.


	4. Chapter 4

1PREVIEW: Harry, Hon and Hermione aparated to Scotland on a lead to the horcrux.

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked around. The place was beautiful: green hills as far as you can see, they even looked green in the dark. To the east, there was a little cluster of lighted houses which looked like a small town, complete with a bus stop and railroad tracks. When they looked left they saw an even smaller village with no train tracks but which looked very well kempt.

"This can't be the place,"said harry looking accusingly at Hermione.

"Well, you aparated us to the wrong place, Harry," said Hermione defensively.

"_What_ wrong place? You told me to go to a circle of stones on the highlands. We are standing _right in the middle_ of a circle of standing stones!"

"Maybe there is another place in scotland that has a circle like this one," said Ron doubtfully.

Hermione sighed in exasperation. "There are lots and lots of circles of standing stones scattered all over Scotland. Don't you guys ever read _anything_?"

"No!" said Harry and Ron together.

"But if you read so much why don't you tell us specifically which circle of standing stone we are looking for," said Ron raising an eyebrow

"well I know where it is, but it's hard to explain it exactly with aparation. Lets walk over to this village here and ask about the circles of stones near this area. Maybe we can just get there the muggle way if it's not far."

Ron and Harry followed Hermione down to the little village on their left. But when they got there Harry had a feeling that this was no muggle neighborhood. Before he had a chance to mention this to Ron they heard a very excited voice from behind them.

"Oh my gosh! You're all _here_?"

When they whirled around they were standing face to face with Marietta, Cho's friend.

"Harry, you're alive! Youre ok!" she exclaimed "everyone thinks you're-."

"What do you mean?" interrupted Harry wondering how these news could have possibly traveled all the way to scotland.

"Well, it was all over the newspapers, the whole story. How you-know-who surrounded your house," Marietta looked at Ron, "and how Harry surrendered so that you-know-who wouldn't kill you..."

"How the-how on _earth_ did they find out about _that_?" asked harry angrily.

Hermione looked thoughtful. "Who wrote the articles, do you remember?" she asked.

"Rita Skeeter, why?"

"Ohhh!" said Harry and Ron together looking at each other and nodding.

"That explains it" said Ron.

"You should have kept her in that jar, Hermione," said Harry annoyed.

"So how did you escape _this_ time Harry?" inquired Marietta

"I didn't." Said Harry, "my friends came to the rescue this time."

"So this is a wizard's village?" asked Harry in attempt to change the subject, "do you live here?"

"Yes, this here is my house" pointed Marietta. "Thanks for helping me with Cho, Hermione," she addad cheerlessly.

"How is she doing?" asked Hermione.

"Worse than ever, Daniel broke up with her last week. Same reason everyone does."

"I thought she was dating Roger Davis?" said Harry.

Hermione and Marietta looked at each other. "She's been dating the entire male population. But everyone dumps her because they claim she is miserable and it's depressing to be with her. Honestly I don't think she ever really loved anyone besides for Cedric, and she never yet got over - you know..." Marietta looked sad.

Harry felt suddenly very guilty at the way he reacted every time she wanted to talk about Cedric. Hermione kept telling him he needed to be more understanding towards Cho. Harry knew that Cho was desperate to talk to him about Cedric because he was there when Cedric died. Harry didn't know what to say but he was spared the effort. Ron was asking Marietta about the circles of standing stones in the area.

"Well there is one about 10 kilometers to the south, and another one a little closer, to the east but I wouldn't think you would want to go _there_. There used to be a dark wizard school years ago, it was closed down, but the rumor is that the founders weren't happy about that. The muggles in that area are scared silly of that place.

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other significantly. This sound like the _exact_ place they do want to go to.

"It was nice to see you, Marietta, sorry we disturbed you this late at night. Say do you usually stay up this late?" said Ron.

"Naw, my mom isn't feeling well and I went out to collect some herbs for a pepperup potion. I guess I'll see you around then."

They waved to each other and Ron, Harry and Hermione diseparated with a pop.

They arrived at a neglected looking field overgrown with weeds and smelling like a garbage dump. They could barely find the circle of standing strones: the weeds were so tall. They were walking slowly toward the bad smell and realized that they reached a cave.

As they walked Harry asked, "what have you been helping Marietta with?"

"Oh, just speaking to Cho's mother about letting her take those anti depressant potions given to her by the healer. She's really very nice, Marietta."

"Yeah, I noticed she is not pimply anymore," smiled Harry.

"Oh, that, I got rid of it in a minute. It was pretty rude, I feel bad now."

"Don't," said Ron finding it much harder to forgive, "do you realize it's her fault that Draco Malfoy knew about the room for requirement? Andyour idea with the galloens used for communication with protean charm. Dumbledore might have still been alive..."

When they got closer to the cave they heard a sound like howling wind coming from inside it. They entered the cave.

There was a whirlpool in the middle of the cave going all the way up towards the sky. There must have been a hole in the cave right on top of where the whirlpool started.

They tried to get closer and take a look but it was impossible. The wind was so strong it was ready to suck them right in.

"Well, we will never find out unless we get in. You two keep watch for death-eaters, I will get into the current," said Harry.

Bracing themselves Ron and Hermione nodded and walked to each side of the cave, their wands out looking resolute.

Harry walked straight into the current. It swept him up, up, in a violent circular flow. He tried to pay attention to what's inside the vortex but the maelstrom was so rapid that all he could do was go with the flow. As he was rotating he noticed something small flying around along with him. He was trying to grab hold of it but it kept slipping away. He almost gave up when he suddenly felt it at his elbow. He quickly lunged for it and finally grabbed it. He wasn't sure but it felt like a wand. So he quickly pointed it upward, said a resourceful spell and he was shooting up and out of the current.

He landed on the ground next to Ron and Hermione who were looking shaken.

"What happened?" asked Harry.

"Death Eaters. We just finished dueling with them. They knew we were here the moment you got into the storm. As if your getting into it caused some kind of an alarm," said Hermione.

"It was so cool. The moment they saw us they cursed us with stunning spells and all their spells rebounded onto them. They all got stunned except for a few who we stupefied without much effort," said Ron proudly.

Harry looked around and saw seven death eaters lying stupefied on the ground.

"We really _are_ protected by your love, Harry," whispered Hermione tenderly, "just the way you were by your mother's love. They really can't touch us-any of us: they can't hurt us."

"And the best part," said ron happily, "you-know-who didn't even have to kill you for that ancient magic to take effect. Dumbledore was right about the power of love."

"But Pettingrew got away. Just turned into a rat and-"

"_Peter Petingrew_ was here?" interrupted Harry

"Yes, and now he's probably on the way to Voldemort to tell him about what we are up to. I don't think Voldemort expected us to do it so soon or he would be here himself."

"The evil ," said Harry evenly, not raising his voice, with a loathing past any display of emotion.

They felt before they saw the dementors coming their way. There were at least a hundred of them gliding down towards Harry Ron and Hermione.

Harry felt the cold pressing in on him; getting inside his bones, inside his soul. He heard voldemort's voice laughing through the white fog, "just another dose of pain, you've almost completely lost your mind"

"_**expecto patronum**_!" cried harry thinking about Ginny being safe from voldemort, protected by his own love.

A large silver stag errupted from the end of Harry's wand and galloped around the dementors chasing them away.

Suddenly, harry got an idea. "Hey!" he yelled at the nearest dementor handing him the wand.

For a moment the dementor stopped. Then, slowly it lowered its hood, put the wand to its mouth and inhaled from it as though from a straw. When it was done, the dementor dropped the wand to the ground and disappeared along with the others.

Harry picked up the wand and inspected it. "We did it," he said.

"Wow, Harry, this was the easiest horcrux to destroy" laughed Ron.

"No," smirked Harry, "the diary was even easier."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot that one," said Ron.

"We'd better disappear before Voldemort get here," exclaimed Hermione

and with a loud pop they were on their way back.

if you liked it please review.if you didn't please reveiw anyway i love criticism. 


	5. Chapter 5

1Harry Ron and Hermione arrived at #12 Grimmuald Place tired but in great spirits. Hermione was the first to reach the fireplace.

"Hey! We are out of floo powder!" she exclaimed.

"Really? What are we going to do?" said ron, "we promised ginny we would return to Hogwarts with news."

"Maybe we can aparate to Hogsmeade Village and go into Hogwarts from there." said Harry.

"But that's too dangerous!" gasped Hermione looking aghast at the idea.

"I have my invisibility cloak," said Harry who since Dumbledore died has kept his invisibility cloak with him at all times.

"Ok, then, let's go"

they aparated to Hogsmeade village right near Zonkos shop. It was really hard to walk as all three friends grew to the size of almost adults. Their feet were showing every time they felt they must straighten up; their backs were aching from crouching. But they walked on, slowly; quietly.

Suddenly Harry heard a hissing voice from under their feet say, "nice to see you again."

Harry jumped, causing the invisibility cloak to fly up almost to their knees.

"What happened?" whispered Hermione fearfully, "be careful!"

"Someone just spoke!" said Harry looking all around.

"What do you mean, I didn't hear anything!" said Ron.

"Why are you so afraid? Look at me, I'm talking to you" hissed the voice again, and this time Harry recognized parseltongue.

Harry quickly brandished his wand and looked around wildly, forgetting to worry about staying invisible.

Ron and Hermione looked terrified as harry turned around and around in panic looking for the source of the voice.

Suddenly Hermione screamed.

Harry turned to look and saw her pointing to the ground. A Huge snake was uncoiling itself toward Harry. He looked at the snake and suddenly let out an "oh!" of relief.

"Hello, my friend," said Harry happily in parseltongue, "why are you not in brazil?"

"I couldn't find the way. I find England to be quite comfortable, though. How have _you _been doing, though you seem very jumpy. I thought you would recognize me right away, who else can speak my language?"

"Oh, you don't want to know," said Harry, but suddenly a thought occurred to him. "Have you met any other human who can talk to you?"

"No, never," replied the Boa Constrictor "I don't think there are any people who can. I have been around humans for years while at the zoo, and even now, I never met anyone like you. You _did_ grow up nicely."

Harry looked around at Ron and Hermione. Both looked at him in awe. He suddenly realized that neither of them could understand what was going on.

"Hey, remember I told you about that Boa Constrictor I set free before I knew I was a wizard?" said Harry, "well, here he is. Er- I guess you can't really say hello," smiled Harry.

"Listen," he told the snake "we are kind of on the run so we er- have to run. But it was swell seeing you."

"Same here," said the snake "sorry I gave you such a fright."

Harry, Ron and Hermione readjusted the cloak when a thought suddenly occurred to him.

"Say," hissed Harry in parseltongue "would you be around this area for a while? Only I would really like to see you again."

"Sure, I'll hang around for a while."

"Thanks," said Harry and walked away with his friends.

"You know, it's really creepy the way you can speak to it," said Ron.

"Sorry" said Harry.

As they made their slow progress to the castle, Harry was deep in thought. It suddenly dawned on him in how much danger Ron and Hermione were. It might have been _true_ that voldemort and his death eaters couldn't touch them, but there are many other ways to kill...

Harry remembered how Quirrel cursed his broomstick during Quiddich. Ron was Quiddich captain this year. He remembered the basilisk. What can stop Voldemort from creating another one? Or sending an army of snakes after them?

He can send an army of dementors: Those dementors in Scotland could have easily finished Ron and Hermione. Voldemort hadn't known that Harry would be there with them. Harry was the only wizard besides for Dumbledore who can produce a patronus against hundreds of dementors at once.

Voldemort can poison them or send them cursed necklaces... there were so many ways to kill someone with out having to touch them.

Harry was so worried for his friends, he didn't want to let them out of his sight. He knew that he must kill voldemort as soon as possible. Now that all the horcruxes besides Nagini were finished, he couldn't let it wait. Especially not now, that Pettigrew probably informed voldemort about Ron and Hermione being in that cave. Now that Voldemort knows that at least one of his well protected horcrux could be distroyed. How long would it take him to check on all his horcruxes and see they are all gone? Would Voldemort then decide to create _more_ horcruxes? How long would _that_ take?

When Harry met his old friend, the Boa Constrictor, he decided it was time to stop relying on Hermione for plans. He knew he must form his own, and he did; right then and there. He will send the snake to trick Nagini into leaving Voldemort's side, Harry will then kill her with the Griffindor sword. Then when Nagini is gone, Harry knew what he must do.

"I will do it" thought Harry steeling himself, "I have to; there is no other way."

"Are you all right?" Hermione asked looking at Harry.

"Sure, yeah, I'm fine..." mumbled Harry as they reached the gates of Hogwarts.

Hermione quickly undid the jinxes protecting the castle grounds and within minutes they were safely in Hogwarts grounds. They took off the invisibility cloak and started walking much faster towards the castle.

Harry kept stealing glances at Hagrid's hut which looked dark and desolate. Hagrid was in St. Mungo's badly injured during a battle with a bunch of giants. He fought alongside Madam Maxime and his little brother Grawp.

Harry thought about Hagrid's bravery, and realized that his own task was just another thing that must be done. Evil must be vanquished once and for all, he thought as they reached the castle doors. Even though...

"Put your invisibility cloak on," said Ron, "you never know who might be up-even at _this_ time of the night."

As Harry walked through the corridors he was ovewhelmed with emotion. He knew this would be the last he will see of Hogwarts. He looked around and noticed every detail, as if this was the first time he was seeing it.

"Puplewear" said Hermione as the reached the portrait of the fat lady.

The portrait swung open and Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked into the Griffindor common room. They looked around and saw Ginny sitting on the couch by the fire, asleep, her cheeks streaked with tears.

"Ginny," said Ron gently shaking Ginny awake, "we're here."


	6. Chapter 6

The portrait swung open and Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked into the Griffindor common room. They looked around and saw Ginny sitting on the couch by the fire, asleep, her cheeks streaked with tears.

"Ginny," said Ron gently shaking Ginny awake, "we're here."

Ginny awoke immediately and looked around. Her eyes met Harry's. She walked over to him and embraced him with such immense relief that it was contagious. Harry himself suddenly felt relieved, forgetting for a moment where he is and what he has just resolved to do. All he knew was blissfulness: the mane of red hair tickling his face, the flowery smell in his nostrils, the warm happy sensation of having Ginny close. He wanted to bring her closer, to hold her tight. But instead he gently pushed her away, his heart breaking. He wanted to protect her with his own body from the horrors he was about to face. He wanted to keep her safe: sheltered from the techniques that Voldemort and his death eaters might use to get her without causing harm to themselves, guarded from the havoc that Voldemort and his death eaters wreck in the world, secure from the terror that takes place outside of Hogwarts.

He wanted to protect her from the pain of losing a loved one.

"We are not- not made for each other" he said almost breathlessly, every word was causing him terrible pain, "we have been apart for almost a year. We never really dated long. We shouldn't get back together now."

To Harry, the look of disappointment on Ginny's face was torture worse than crucio. "You will understand it eventually," he said.

"Let's go to sleep already." said Hermione sensing the situation,"Do you realize, Harry, that you haven't slept at all since _Christmas_?"

Harry couldn't take his eyes off Ginny as she turned to go up to the girl's dormitories, as if willing her to understand. Hermione followed her and Ron asked Harry if he would sleep in the boys dormitories.

"Just one night, for old times sake. Tomorrow you can floo back to #12."

"You go ahead," Harry told Ron who looked as tired as Harry felt, "I just need to do a few things, then I'll go to sleep too."

"Ok, good night" said Ron going up the familiar spiral staircase to the boy's dormitories, the room they have shared for six happy years.

Harry sat down heavily on the chair next to the fire, thinking about Ginny. Thinking about what he is about to do without Ron and Hermione, this time. Without help or encouragement, for he knew that his friends would never approve of what he will be doing. But he couldn't think of any other plan, and there was simply no time for Hermione to come up with a better one. He must do it no later than tomorrow. Today, even, if he could manage it, but he couldn't bring himself to get up and go. He couldn't take Ginny off his mind. He needed her now, more than ever. He had to talk to her. He took out a piece of parchment and a quill and started writing:

"dear Ginny, I am writing to you because I must talk to you. I can't let you hear what I say and you will never read this letter either. It's just a way for me to imagine having you near. Ginny you don't know it, but I love you. I need desperately to be with you now."

" I need you." Harry wrote, soaking the parchment with tears, "As you were going up the stairs I had to use all my will power not to cry out for you 'don't go! Don't leave me! Come back!' it took all my power not to beg you to hold me back, to not allow me to go. Ginny, I'm scared. I know you think I am cold and unloving but I couldn't let you know how I feel right now. Because you can't feel something like this and still live. I can't let you experience that; I want you to live, Ginny. Don't be like Cho: depressed, wallowing in memories of Cedric, forgetting to live. I want you to find love. someone more worthy of you than I am. someone who will live, stay alive for you.

"I have to go now. I will never see you again, Ginny, because I have to kill Voldemort. I can't think of any way to avoid it. And it can't wait. I am sorry. I know it will cause you agony to wake up tomorrow and find that I am gone. Forever. But I will take Voldemort with me, right into the veil. This is the only plan that will guarantee to work.I must do this thing because no matter how good a wizard I am, there is no way that I can kill voldemort in a wizard-to-wizard duel.

"I'm scared, Ginny, I don't want to die. I don't want this to be the last I saw of you. I want to live. With you. I want us to get married and have a family. I never really knew the feeling of being part of a family, but you are the closest thing to family I have ever had.

"I feel so lucky to have known you. You made my life worth living, no matter how short, it will have been worth living it."

Harry kept writing, scribbling furiously on the parchment as tears were streaming down blotting the words. Harry didn't care. Ginny wasn't going to see this anyway.

Over and over he professed his love for Ginny and hoped that he did the right thing by not saying a proper goodbye, so she would not suffer when he is gone. He was hoping that she didn't fall for him like he fell for her; that she would be able to go on with her life without him, for he could not have lived without her.

When there were no more tears left to shed, and no more strength left to think, Harry felt his spirits lift and was ready to go fight his final battle. He was almost on his way when he suddenly thought of something else.

He quickly tore a small peice of parchment and wrote: "Last will and testement:

"I, Harry James Potter leave all the money that is in the Potters' vault to the Weasly family. To Remus Lupin I leave all the money in the vault belonging to Sirius Black. Anything else that might belong to me can be sorted out by Ron and Hermione." he was ready to fold it when he decided to add, "P.S. to Ron an Hermione, please don't be angry at me for doing the last bit without you. You are and always will be my best friends, but I knew that if I told you-you wouldn't have let me go. Be strong. I love you."

Harry folded the paper neatly, and put it down. Then he took his wand and was on his way.


	7. Chapter 7

Harry arrived at Little Hangleton with the snake wrapped around him for side-along apparation.

He looked around and saw in what used to be a garden, but has become a jumble of overgrown weeds, a circle of people. He quietly tiptoed closer and saw that the people in the circle were Death Eaters and they were all discussing Harry. Voldemort was fuming about how Harry escaped and was cursing every Death Eater in charge that night. Nagini was slithering around Voldemort.

Harry quietly hissed instructions to his snake. "_You see that snake over there? Go to her and convince her to join you on a romantic walk or, er-, slither. Bring her here to me, and I will kill her. But don't forget: be very careful what you say to her. That man in the circle understands your language._"

A few minutes later, Nagini was laying dead at Harry's feet and the last horcrux was destroyed. After thanking the Boa Constrictor, Harry walked right into the circle of Death Eaters.

"I think I have some things you might have been looking for." announced harry to voldemort in a clear and carrying voice.

"This, I believe was your mother's locket," said harry viciously throwing the locket at Voldemort, "your old diary, Hepziba's cup, your grandad's ring, and the wand you stole from Mr. Ollivender." as harry was naming all the items he threw each of them at Voldemort's feet.

The Death Eaters around them immobilized with shock, and paralyzed by the energy generating from Harry, would never have thought that this same young teen radiating such power and confidence, could have possibly been trembling with fear and drowning in sorrow a mere hour ago.

"Have I missed anything, Voldemort?" asked Harry callously as he dodged another killing curse with proficient ease.

"Yes," said Voldemort and started hissing for his snake.

Harry laughed with malice. "_Nagini is dead, Voldemort_," he hissed back in parseltongue.

"You destroyed all of them, then." said Voldemort carelessly, "and now you came here with the belief that you can fight me?" Voldemort started to laugh. "You've got some nerve. You might be good at escaping, you pathetic little boy, but do you really think you are a match to Lord Voldemort? Do you think that because you got some of my powers you can actually win? You don't even know the existence of most of those powers let alone how to use them."

"I know about the power to posses," said Harry advancing at voldemort "and I figured out how to use it."

"Really," cackled voldemort, "and, say you manage to posses me, what would that do?"

"I will make you walk into the archway of death in the department of mysteries. Through the veil."

"Well, you can't do that without getting yourself killed, Harry. You don't really intend to do _that_, now, do you?"

"I do," said harry looking straight into Voldemort's scarlet eyes as he lunged onto him; attacking the creature within him; holding tightly onto its' coils; ignoring the pain.

To the Death Eaters around them this was a terrible sight. They watched as voldemort suddenly became stiff and started walkinghypnotically toward the ministry of magic. The Death Eaters were running around what looked like Voldemort in frenzy pointing their wands asking for directions. . .

"Go ahead, kill us," said Harry's voice from Voldemort's mouth, "it will be much quicker that way. Less painful." The agony of holding onto a soul such as Voldemort's was past endurance.

Harry noticed that the creature was fighting.He realizedthat he will have to risk trying to apparate with Voldemort right into the department of mysteries. He didn't think he could keep his hold long enough to walk there. For one, the pain was beyond imagination; and Voldemort must have known how to fight this kind of thing because Harry felt at some point as if his grip was loosening and they were not so tightly fused together.

Harry and Voldemort appeared with a loud crack in the room with the archway. Many more pops meant that the death eaters apparently knew where to find their master.

But Voldemort fought. At times Harry had to use all his concentration just to keep them bound, not caring that he was not the one possessing. For Voldemort was possessing Harry too as Harry was becoming weaker.

To those standing around Harry and Voldemort it was a horrible sight to behold. Both Harry and Voldemort were fading into each other screaming in pain; running at certain points _towards_ the veil - and _away _from it as they struggled.

They kept wrestling for a long while until both fell apart shivering on the ground.

Voldemort was the frist to recover. He got up, staggered towards Harry, and deprived of his wand, (both wands were left at the riddle house) did a sort of wandless magic as if throwing something at Harry.

At once Harry felt as if many small swords cut into his chest and blood was pouring out. He looked at Voldemort- eyes wide with shock. The sharp pain shocked Harry out of his shivering state. Voldemort was laughing in a high cruel cackle.

Suddenly Snape was at Harry's side handing him the griffindor sword. Harry knew right away what he must do. With the last bit of his strength, he swung the sword cleanly across Voldemort's shoulders.

An instant later, Voldemort's head was rolling on the ground as his body crumpled. Harry, triumphant but defeated, fell face forward right on top of Voldemort's vanquished form; blood from his chest spilling and mingling with Voldemort's blood forming one big pool.

Snape reached for Harry turning him around and performing spells in a futile attempt to revive him. When these attempts were proven hopeless, he took out a bottle from his robes and forced Harry to drink it.

Harry felt great peace coming over him and tried hard to fight it. He opened his eyes and saw Snape's useless efforts. Suddenly harry felt a desperate need to talk to snape, to clear the terrible weight of his father's guilt.

"Snape, sir . . ." whispered Harry every word causing him to get weaker, "please . . . don't hate . . . my . . . father . . ."

"Don't strain yourself, Potter," Snape was saying his face expressionless. "Just relax and concentrate on staying alive."

Harry felt more life ebbing away as his heart slowed almost to a stop. He felt himself starting to drift away from his body. He held as tightly as he could; with all the strength he could muster to Snape's arms trying to bring him closer; to listen.

"please . . . listen to me . . ." his words were barely a whisper "my father . . . was . . . wrong . . . but please . . . forgive him . . . don't . . . hate . . ."

There was a convulsion in Harry's body, as if in protest, and his face relaxed.

Snape was working with increasing intensity: dabbing Harry's forehead and hands with potion from his bottles, telling him to 'get up Potter', yelling at Draco for not helping . . .

It was in this state that the members of the Ministry and ofthe Order found them when they came to arrest the remaining Death Eaters.

When Lupin arrived he took one look at the scene and hurried over towards Harry and Snape.

"Snape has gone mad" mumbled Draco his face pale with fear.

Lupin looked at Harry, then he looked at Snape, who was yelling at everyone, spit flying from his mouth, demanding to bring healers; attacking the Order members for caring more about catching Death Eaters than bringing help . . .

Lupin acknowledged the fact that there was nothing left to be done for Harry. He walked straight to Snape and held him forcibly by the elbows.

"There's nothing more to do, Severus," he told him quietly struggling to keep him pinned, "it's over, you did what you could. Let him be."

For a moment Snape looked like he was going to murder Lupin, but suddenlySnape's face was screwed up against the howl of misery fighting to get out of him.

Lupin put his arms around Snape, and he broke down completely. It was as if all the guilt and anger and bitterness bottled up inside him for years came flooding out in torrents. As if the wall of steel around his heart came tumbling down, and all his emotions burst forth with the force of a tsunami. Snape's whole body was shaking hard with bursts of loud sobs.

"It's all my fault," he kept hiccuping, "James, Lilly, and now Harry . . . all my fault!"

No one has ever seen Snape like this. In fact no one can honestly say they ever saw him cry at all. Not even as a child. As the members of the Ministry and the Order packed the last of the Death Eaters onto azkaban they looked at each other in astonishment despite their bereavement.

"I never thought he cared so much for Potter" they kept whispering.

Lupin held onto Snape, tears rolling down his own cheeks, as he looked at his best friend's son. Through his intense grief he knew he must send a patonus message to Harry's best friends.

NOTE: don't worry people, Harry is not dead. he is just having a "near death experience" it's, like, when you are almost dead but you're not. even muggles have that. (i read about it in the "reader's digest")


	8. Chapter 8

Harry was floating around looking down at his battered body, wondering why everyone was so upset. He himself was as comfortable as he never was during his whole life. There was none of that sharp pain from Voldemort's spell, none of that agony of being attached to a wicked soul, no sadness, just serene happiness. It was a bliss. Then he noticed a long dark tunnel and he knew that his family will be on the other side. He was so excited to see them, he was euphoric. He went right into that tunnel and saw that far -far ahead there was a wonderful light. He tried to float as quickly as possible towards that light but he was stopped by a form coming from_ there_ towards _him_. He looked to see who it was and realized to his jubilation that it was Dumbledore.

"Professor Dumbledore!" exclaimed Harry in excitement, "it's so great to see you again!"

Dumbledore smiled happily at Harry giving him a piercing look. It was like the old times . . .

"Listen, Harry, that potion that Professor Snape made you drink right before you floated here is a very strong draft invented by Severus himself. It's a potion to stopper death. We didn't think it would work, as it was never used on anyone before, but it did. You can float right back to your body if you choose to do so."

"Are you nuts, Professor Dumbledore?" asked Harry astonished, "why in the world would I ever want to go back to that broken, bloody body? I want to go to the light, I want to see my parents!"

"I won't deny that you body is in terrible shape, Harry, and it will probably be painful to return to it. You will need to take many disgusting potions to heal and, I imagine it might take months to get it back to working order. However, if you see any reason to endure such a painful recovery you now have that choice."

"I don't see any reason. I want to be with you, with my parents," said Harry confidently, looking past Dumbledore for the light, anxious to get through.

"It's your decision, Harry, but I advise you to look down again before you make your final choice."

"Oh,but I don't want to go backwards out of the tunnel," blurted Harry.

"Just one time. Please, just sneak a peek." pleaded Dumbledore.

"OK, but it won't change my mind," he declared.

Reluctantly, Harry floated back towards the other end of the tunnel and saw his body again. He saw the people around it: Snape and Lupin; he was happy to see they will be friends. He saw Ron and Hermione who just arrived breathless; he knew they will be OK, they will have each other. But behind them, he saw a red headed girl, looking forlorn and dejected. Walking slowly towards his body.

Harry suddenly felt such powerful, overwhelming love that he didn't even look back at Dumbledore. Before Ginny reached his side he was already coughing, breathing painfully through his torn lungs.

"Ginny . . ." was all he managed to say before he was put on a stretcher and carried to St. Mungo's hospital where he will slowly mend.


	9. Chapter 9

"How can you have done that to us, Harry?" asked Ron for the thousandth time.

"Shut up and eat your chocolate frog," said Harry weakly.

"Why don't _you_ have some, Harry?" asked Hermione.

"I can't until I finish this disgusting thing," said Harry making a face and lifting a goblet-full of the most horrible tasting potion he ever had.

Hermione and Ron were visiting Harry at St. Mungo's Hospital where he has been for the past two weeks. Ron was eating most of the junk food sent to Harry by his many admirers, and Hermione was reading 'The Daily Prophet'.

"They're working on writing a book about you, Harry," said Hermione amused. She knew Harry couldn't stand the idea, but she thought it was about time that people appreciated him for all he has been through to save the world.

"Ugh," said Harry taking another sip.

"Why don't you just drink the whole thing quickly and be done with it?" asked Hermione reasonably.

"Shut up Hermione. I'd like to see _you_ try it," gagged Harry, "isn't Draco's trial happening today?"

"Yes, and I hope he gets life in Azkaban," stated Ron.

"No you don't, Ron, He is a nasty brat but he is not evil. And I am happy you finally came to your senses and agreed not to testify against him."

"You're too soft, Harry, he has done some really terrible things," protested Ron.

"Yes and to him living with the guilt of causing Dumbledore's death is bad enough. He regretted joining Voldemort. He couldn't have pulled it through. You should have seen him. He almost gave in to Dumbledore until the other death eaters came. He wasn't going to kill him."

"You're forgetting that he also caused you to be captured and tortured by the death eaters." Said Hermione.

"That's because he was in disgrace for not killing Dumbledore. He had to prove himself to Voldemort or he would have killed him. He grew up with the worst kind of Death Eater family you can imagine. The Malfoys are far worse than the Blacks, and you saw what happened to Regulus. He is only a child."

"Really? And what are you? You're the exact same age as Draco. Would you have done something like that?" retorted Ron angrily.

"I can't know that. I never knew my parents but I bet that if they were evil as the Malfoys and would have cared for me as his parents did for him, I would not have wanted to disappoint them." Said Harry quietly.

Madam Pomphrey walked into the room. "You'd better finish your potion. You're due for your next one in an hour. Surely you want to eat something in between doses."

"Come on, Harry, you don't want them to force feed it to you again," said Hermione.

Harry looked at his goblet and sighed.

"For Ginny," said Hermione gently, "you look and feel so much better after each dose, and Ginny is on her way. Don't you want to be in better shape for her?"

Harry shut his eyes tight, held his thumb and forefinger to his nose, and in one gulp the goblet was emptied.


	10. Chapter 10

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining bright, the birds were singing on the treetops as the branches were swaying from side to side in the sweet cool breeze. They were sitting on a bench in the park, near Hogsmeade Village. For the first time in two years, they were alone, together.

Ginny had just finished taking the N.E.W.T.s, along with Ron, Hermione, and almost the whole of Harry's year. Harry had just gotten out of St. Mungo's Hospital, where he has been the past year, recovering from the battle with Voldemort.

Harry had never yet had the opportunity to talk to Ginny privately. The hospital room was constantly filled with people: friends, admirers, and members of the ministry, newspaper columnists, and kids wanting autographs… there was so much he wanted to tell her during his stay at the hospital, but now, that he had the opportunity, he was lost for words.

What should he tell her two years after he broke up with her? Should he tell her that she is the reason he survived the battle? That it was the thought of being with her that prevented him from succumbing to his injuries? That it was the sight of her beautiful face, that kept him fighting for his life, even as he was so close to seeing his parents again…?

He couldn't tell her that. Not after two years of them being apart. Not after he was the one who pushed her away.

He couldn't tell her that she was the reason he stayed alive. What if that would make her feel that she _had_ to get back with him? He didn't want to force himself on her. What if she feels sorry for him and takes him back out of pity? He couldn't stand that thought! He knew that Mrs. Weasley cared for him, only because she pitied him, for not having a family. He heard her say that on his first trip on the Hogwarts Express. He didn't want that from Ginny!

Harry looked into Ginny's eyes. He was desperate to say _something_. He wanted to know if she still felt, now, the way she did, then, before they broke their relationship.

"Ginny…" he said, the words were stuck in his throat.

He couldn't say anything. His hands were shaking; his heart was beating double its normal speed.

"Ginny," he tried again his voice was shaking too.

He was not sure what he wanted to say; he was desperately searching for words. He looked into those brown eyes, and suddenly, before he could stop himself, he said, "will you marry me?"

He was suddenly so scared. What did he do? Who said Ginny even wanted to get married? Maybe she already had enough of her big family, and she wanted to live independently? What made him think she still loved him?

Ginny looked at Harry. She looked at the man who, even as a boy, had faced death without flinching. He had faced things far worse than death without even batting an eyelid. This man, who was now facing her, looking so vulnerable, so defenseless; he was so scared. She knew, as she looked at his shaking hands and pale face, that no monster, or dragon -- nor even Voldemort could have broken Harry, but if she wanted to, she could destroy him completely. She knew that she meant more to him than his life.

She couldn't believe that she ever doubted his love for her. She was so devastated back then, when he broke their relationship, thinking he has lost his feelings for her. She wanted nothing more than to be with Harry, and to start a new family with him, a big family with lots of children. But she couldn't be sure that _he_ wanted that. Maybe he wasn't used to the idea of having a family at all? Maybe he just wanted to live independently and be left alone?

But she knew, as she looked at him, that her fears were baseless. He only broke up with her to protect her. He has loved her all this time, and he always will.

Ginny looked into Harry's bright green eyes. She didn't need to perform Legitimancy to know that his heart was in her hands. With a blazing look, she gazed deep into his eyes, and answered, "yes."


End file.
